Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Janakpur and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Janakpur: $294 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Janakpur
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Janakpur Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index

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Janakpur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$294

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Janakpur and in Kathmandu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Janakpur and in Kathmandu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $294 per month in Janakpur vs $485 in Kathmandu, rent included.

Janakpur $294
Kathmandu $485

A couple spends around $506 per month in Janakpur vs $780 in Kathmandu, rent included.

Janakpur $506
Kathmandu $780

A family of three spends $718 per month in Janakpur vs $1,075 in Kathmandu, rent included.

Janakpur $718
Kathmandu $1,075

Janakpur is about 39% cheaper than Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Janakpur and Kathmandu are more affordable than the global median – Janakpur 78% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 NPR 305

$2.02 NPR 307

-0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.24 NPR 1,708

$20.42 NPR 3,103

-44.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 NPR 1,015

$7.46 NPR 1,134

-10.46%

Cappuccino

$1.50 NPR 228

$1.51 NPR 230

-0.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 NPR 82.3

$0.55 NPR 83.8

-1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 23.03

$0.17 NPR 25.74

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 NPR 300

$3.24 NPR 492

-39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 NPR 252

$3.24 NPR 492

-48.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 NPR 87.6

$0.73 NPR 111

-20.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 NPR 52.5

$0.63 NPR 95.9

-44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 NPR 130

$0.87 NPR 132

-2.30%

Eggs

$1.65 NPR 251

$1.76 NPR 268

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.28 NPR 498

$7.37 NPR 1,119

-55.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.40 NPR 364

$3.07 NPR 466

-21.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.06 NPR 921

$5.99 NPR 909

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 NPR 251

$2.07 NPR 314

-20.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 NPR 100

$1.16 NPR 176

-43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 NPR 154

$1.45 NPR 221

-30.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.3

$0.55 NPR 84.0

-1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 NPR 42.05

$0.39 NPR 59.0

-28.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 NPR 77.4

$0.50 NPR 76.7

2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 NPR 33.32

$0.45 NPR 68.8

-51.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.44

$0.22 NPR 33.43

-31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 NPR 344

$2.52 NPR 383

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 NPR 1,186

$7.74 NPR 1,175

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NPR 217

$2.32 NPR 352

-38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NPR 305

$3.05 NPR 463

-34.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 NPR 1,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 NPR 96.1

$1.76 NPR 267

-64.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 NPR 183

$1.22 NPR 186

-1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 NPR 493

$3.40 NPR 516

-4.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NPR 156

$1.35 NPR 206

-23.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.0K NPR 3.5M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-37.57%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K NPR 4.0M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-29.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$13.19 NPR 2,004

$32.06 NPR 4,872

-58.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$3.45 NPR 525

$3.59 NPR 545

-3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.88 NPR 590

$9.24 NPR 1,404

-58.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.24 NPR 2,012

$21.94 NPR 3,334

-39.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.55 NPR 996

$6.76 NPR 1,027

-3.11%

Cinema Ticket

$2.97 NPR 451

$2.98 NPR 453

-0.34%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$32.91 NPR 5,001

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

-51.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,440 NPR 826.6K

$5,618 NPR 853.6K

-3.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.07 NPR 3,809

$24.01 NPR 3,648

4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.16 NPR 2,456

$26.88 NPR 4,084

-39.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.50 NPR 5,849

$64.8 NPR 9,838

-40.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$22.40 NPR 3,404

$29.17 NPR 4,432

-23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$51.4 NPR 7,810

$220 NPR 33.4K

-76.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$22.49 NPR 3,418

$101 NPR 15.4K

-77.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 NPR 20.2K

$433 NPR 65.8K

-69.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.6 NPR 15.0K

$201 NPR 30.5K

-50.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 NPR 357.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 NPR 202.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$322 NPR 48.9K

$261 NPR 39.7K

23.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

9.98

-2.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Janakpur: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Janakpur

$109 37.2%

Kathmandu

$145 29.9% 32.6% $36

Eating Out

Janakpur

$70 23.8%

Kathmandu

$82 17% 17.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Janakpur

$46 15.6%

Kathmandu

$65 13.4% 41.8% $19

Accommodation & Living

Janakpur

$22 7.6%

Kathmandu

$101 20.9% 350% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Janakpur

$21 7%

Kathmandu

$45 9.3% 119% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Janakpur

$19 6.5%

Kathmandu

$28 5.8% 45.5% $8.7

Getting Around

Janakpur

$6.7 * 2.3%

Kathmandu

$19 3.9% 183% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $51.4 in Janakpur versus $220 in Kathmandu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Janakpur, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Janakpur versus $20.00 in Kathmandu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $145 – making Janakpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Janakpur

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Janakpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,438

975,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Janakpur Kathmandu 120 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Janakpur vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $294 in Janakpur, $485 in Kathmandu – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $441 per month in Janakpur and $728 in Kathmandu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Janakpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $294 in Janakpur and $485 in Kathmandu. That's a gap of about 65%.

Kindergarten costs $32.91 per month in Janakpur and $67.8 in Kathmandu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $294 in Janakpur and $485 in Kathmandu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Janakpur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Janakpur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kathmandu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.